History

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs was established at a public meeting held at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall on 23 July 1988, but its roots go back to the time more than 30 years earlier.

Scroll through the timeline below using the backward/forward arrows. Hovering over a date will reveal more information about the significant events that helped shape the Federation’s history.

1950's

Testing is first mooted in Parliament in the mid-1950s.

1955

First government testing station is opened at Hendon in October 1955 as an experiment to provide government with information and experience with a view to establishing a compulsory test at a later date.

1959

Ernest Marples appointed Minister of Transport. Marples had a reputation as someone who got things done.

1960

Within a year of his appointment, Marples sees through a new Road Traffic Act, which called for annual testing of light vehicles over ten years old. The Ministry of Transport Test is born - generally referred to as the ‘ten year test’ - a nomenclature that didn’t last long as within seven years the age at which vehicles first required testing had been progressively reduced to the current three years.

Early 1960's

Concern about testing, and the risk that test requirements would disadvantage historic vehicles, causes officers of prominent clubs catering for pre-WW2 vehicles to form the Historic Vehicle Clubs Joint Committee (HVCJC).

1966

The Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) is formed by the amalgamation of two earlier international groups, both catering for pre-war vehicles. Britain’s representation in FIVA is shared by the Veteran Car Club of GB and the Vintage Sports Car Club. FIVA’s purpose is almost entirely event-focused to encourage international activity.

Late 1970's

The word “Joint” is dropped from the title to shorten it to HVCC. Gross membership totals approximately 30,000 in around 50 clubs catering for pre-1945 vehicles.

1980

Owners of 1950s and 1960s vehicles have no representative body until a group of clubs catering mainly for cars of that era join forces to combat the government’s first (July 1980) attempt to require owners to pay vehicle excise duty on all vehicles in their possession whether in use or not. The new organisation is called the Classic Vehicle Clubs Committee.

1980's

Having worked together effectively previously, those running the the HVCC and CVCC recognised the synergy. Over time the two organisations join forces within a formal structure, as many clubs catering for vehicles over 20 years old as possible are encouraged to join, the new organisation would take over UK representation in FIVA.

1988

The proposed rules of an unincorporated body to be known as the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs are drafted and flyers inviting interested parties to attend the meeting in the hope of encouraging stronger support.

1990’s

In FBHVC’s first decade, work concentrates almost entirely on vehicle related legislation and regulation until a general acceptance both in Westminster and Brussels that retrospective requirements should be avoided.

1997

First survey of the historic vehicle movement. Shows the value of the historic vehicle movement to the national economy to be in excess of £1.6 billion. Shows that average use of historic vehicles was low. FBHVC persuades FIVA of the need to collect such data on a pan-European basis

2005/6

A survey, taking in most of the rest of the pre-enlargement EU is undertaken under the aegis of the same team as in 1997. The overall EU total exceeds €16 billion, with UK representing a quarter of that total. Survey shows historic vehicle use was low, at less than 0.1% of total circulation.

2012

FBHVC brings 2006 figures up to date, finding that the UK historic vehicle movement is worth over £4billion annually.

The Future

From inception, FBHVC has only ever had one objective: to maintain our freedom to use Yesterday’s Vehicles on Tomorrow’s Roads. Anything else FBHVC has ever done is in support of that single aim. Today, FBHVC represents over 500 clubs with a membership of over quarter of a million individuals. There are also over 20 museums/collections and around 1,000 supporters who are either individuals or traders who recognise the importance of FBHVC’s work and wish to contribute to it.